DUNEDIN CITY

Contents

In a setting of great natural beauty Dunedin is situated
at the head of Otago Harbour, a narrow inlet extending
south-westward for some 15 miles. Geologically, the harbour
is a recent creation formed by the flooding of two river
valleys. The entrance to the harbour is flanked on the west
by Hayward Point and on the east by the massive Taiaroa Head.
From the time of its foundation in 1848, the city has spread
slowly over the low-lying flats and nearby hills and across
the isthmus to the slopes of the Otago Peninsula. Dunedin,
like Christchurch, is on the Picton-Bluff State Highway and
on the South Island Main Trunk Railway. The Central Otago
line, a branch of the Main Trunk Railway, runs inland as far
as Cromwell. The city is also a junction for roads into
Central Otago.

The business and industrial portion of the city is
concentrated on flat land, most of which has been reclaimed
over the years from the harbour. Beyond this are the suburbs,
which extend from east-south to north-east, like a crescent,
from the heights of Waverley and Andersons Bay, to St. Clair
beach on the south, along the hills of Mornington, Roslyn,
and Maori Hill, and on to the rising slopes of Ravensbourne.
Beyond these again is a sweep of higher hills running from
south to north-east, the major heights being Saddle Hill
(1,151 ft), Flagstaff (2,186 ft), and Mount Cargill (2,216
ft). From the higher suburbs and surrounding hills there is a
wonderful range of panoramic views.

Three valleys descend from the perimeter. On the westward
is the Kaikorai Valley with the stream of that name flowing
south-westward; from the northward the Water of Leith flows
southward and south eastward down another valley between the
slopes of Flagstaff and Mount Cargill to the upper harbour;
the third, the tributary North-East Valley, descends
south-westward to join the Leith Valley in the northern part
of the city. Westward of Dunedin the hilly country descends
to the alluvial Taieri Plain and the lower basin of the
Taieri River.

How to cite this page: 'DUNEDIN CITY', from An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand, edited by A. H. McLintock, originally published in 1966.Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New ZealandURL: http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/1966/dunedin-city (accessed 22 Mar 2019)